Master Plan for Public Postsecondary Education in Louisiana

Master Plan for Public Postsecondary Education in Louisiana

Article VIII of Louisiana’s Constitution authorizes the Board of Regents (BoR) to develop a master plan for higher education in Louisiana. This Master Plan provides a broad vision for the State’s higher education system and acknowledges its interdependence with the economy and its many contributions towards better lives for Louisiana’s citizenry. The actions outlined in this Plan are guided by the reality that Louisiana must raise the educational attainment of its adult citizens if it is to compete successfully in the 21st century world economy. The Plan also addresses the need to strategically invest in targeted research to sustain and expand the State’s economic development. Finally, increased accountability is a common thread which undergirds every element of this Master Plan. In the development of the plan, the Board of Regents recognizes that almost three-fourths of Louisiana’s adult residents have no postsecondary degree, and only 65% of the State’s K-12 students complete high school at a time when the fastest growing and most rewarding jobs in the nation require at least some postsecondary education. The Board of Regents advances its vision for the future of postsecondary education by adopting the following three broad goals and activities: 1. Increase the educational attainment of the State’s adult population to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) States’ average by 2025; 2. Invest strategically in university research; and 3. Achieve greater efficiency and accountability in the postsecondary education system